


A Split Second

by Chelsea072498



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Mentions of Smut, Minor Character Death, mentions of nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 10:16:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14871857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chelsea072498/pseuds/Chelsea072498
Summary: Starts before Sam leaves for college. Dean spends an afternoon with someone special to him. Everything changes for them and their relationship in a split second.





	1. Chapter 1

##  **A Split Second (Prologue)**

_Before Sam leaves for Stanford_

Her hand moved to his face and he turned slightly to kiss her forehead. “Sweetheart, we promised each other…”

“I know,” She sat up and her light brown hair fell over her shoulder. “I feel like shit, Dean.”

Dean Winchester stood, his naked body a glorious sight no matter how many times she’d seen it over the years. He grabbed his clothes and soon pulled his jeans on. “You have to make a decision. You can’t keep doing this.”

“Dean,” Reese Stephenson sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. “I’ll order some food. You can have a meal with me before you leave, right?”

Dean pulled his shirt over his head. “I shouldn’t. I should leave and never come back.” He walked to the bed and sat next to her. “We both know I won’t do that.”

“I’m sorry, Dean.” She touched his cheek. “I’d give anything to go with you and Sam…”

“No,” He shook his head. “Your family is here, Reese. You’ve got a life.” Dean smiled at her. “You’ve got a really good life.” His tone changed with his expression. “You’ve got a good man too.”

“I have to tell him the truth.” She touched her forehead to Dean’s. “I was wrong to start anything with him….”

Dean shook his head. “I told you we were through. I told you this was done.” He chuckled. “I can’t quit you, Reese. I’ve tried.”

“I know,” She dared to kiss him. His hands pulled her into his lap and soon, they were moving together again.

Reese had thirty minutes before she had to get back to the office by the time they untangled themselves from each other. Dean stayed in the bed, thinking about the decisions they both needed to make.

Reese’s phone rang and he ignored the first two calls. When the phone rang the third time, he reached for it. Sam’s name and an old picture of the three of them was on the screen.

“Sammy?” His brother knew the secret. Sam urged Dean to drive around the town. He begged him to delete Reese’s number. He loved their old friend, but he knew they were playing a dangerous game.

“Who is this?” It was him.

Dean’s hands moved over his eyes. He knew eventually the truth would come out, but he never wanted it to like this. “It’s Dean.”

The silence was deafening. Reese came out of the shower then and Dean handed her the phone.

“It’s Nathan”

Reese’s eyes widened and she looked terrified when she took the phone. “Nathan?”

“You’re with Dean?”

“It’s…”

Nathan didn’t give her a chance to respond. “You need to get to the hospital. Now. Your family needs you. We’ve been trying to call you for three hours.”

“What’s wrong? Why the hospital?”

“Just get here.”

She stared at the phone. “Why did you answer it?”

“I thought it was Sammy.” Dean told her. He was rushing to dress. “It said Sammy….”

“Son of a bitch, what was he doing with Sam’s phone?!” Reese dressed in a hurry. “He said I needed to get to the hospital and…”

Dean grabbed her, gently pulling her toward him. “Sweetheart, I’m going with you. Maybe this is good. You said you had to tell him…..”

“Not like this!” She was trying to call her brothers to find out what was happening. “Dean, I…”

“Sam just text me. Nathan’s phone died and Sam said he thought maybe you’d answer if it wasn’t Nathan.” Dean apologized. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I shouldn’t have answered…”

“You thought it was Sam.” Reese looked into Dean’s beautiful green eyes. “Dean, this isn’t going to be pretty.”

Dean took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s about time I stepped up, Reese.” He took her hand. “Let’s get the hospital and find out what’s going on.”  
  


Doctors and nurses were rushing around when they stepped off the elevator. Sam saw them first and rushed over.

“I’m sorry, Reese.”

Reese shrugged. “I was going to tell him tonight.” She squeezed Dean’s hand. “What happened? What’s going on?”

“Where the hell have you been?!” Her older brother, Kevin, walked over. “Where were you?!”

“What’s going on? Nathan said I needed to get here.”

Tyler, her younger brother, walked over. “Kev, let me tell her….”

“You were supposed to pick Jacob up today, Reese! You were suppose to take him to cub scouts!”

“Wh…what?” Reese shook her head. “I wasn’t supposed to get him today.”

Tyler saw his sister was holding Dean’s hand. “Damn it, Reese.”

She looked at him. “Did something happen?”

“Jacob didn’t see you do he got in the van that takes the cub scouts from his school to the youth center.” Tyler took a deep breath. “A drunk driver was on the wrong side of the road and the guy driving the van swerved…”

“The van flipped, Reese. Jacob got hurt.”

“Oh my God.” Reese went pale. “Tyler, I swear I didn’t know I was picking him up! I swear….”

“I called you this morning. It went straight to voicemail.” Tyler knew she’d been at the office. “I left a message with Stacy but when I called, she said you left in a hurry and she didn’t get to say anything to you.”

“I was on the phone with a company in France for three hours and then I….I left the office.”

“Did you leave to sneak around with him?”

As soon as she heard his voice, she remembered that she had two situations to deal with. She turned slowly and looked at the man she started dating almost three years before. “Nathan, I’m sorry.”

“I knew as soon as I saw Sam that you’d see Dean. I knew it. I had no idea that he would answer your phone.”

“I didn’t get any other calls!” Reese turned back to her brothers. “I didn’t get the calls. I don’t know if they weren’t going through or if I lost a signal….”

“Does it matter?” Kevin screamed at her. “You were fucking Dean Winchester while our nephew was laying in a ditch somewhere.”

“I didn’t know!” Reese cried. “Tyler, you know I would have been there to pick him up….”

“Tyler may lose his son because you’re a whore.” Dean’s fist connected with Nathan’s face before anyone could stop him. Nathan turned and spit the blood out. “You really think that hurt?”

“It’ll hurt a hell of a lot more if you ever speak to Reese like that again.” Dean warned. He turned and looked at Kevin. “Reese has never put me before anyone in her family. I get that…”

“She just puts you in front of me. The man she’s supposed to love.”

Reese looked at Nathan. “I’m sorry. I should have told you the truth….”

“How long?” Nathan asked.

“This isn’t important now.” Reese looked at Tyler. “I’m so sorry, Tyler. I would have been there.”

“I know,” He took her hand. “Come with me. He’s in surgery, but I know Kelly wants to see you.”

Reese looked back at the two men in her life. “Please, for my brother, Kelly, and my nephew, stow this until he’s okay.”

“He’s not going to be okay, Reese!” Kevin looked at Tyler. “If he survives the brain injury, he’ll be confined to a wheelchair.”

“What?” Reese looked at Tyler. “What’s he talking about….”

“Reese, I’ll tell….” Tyler stopped. He saw someone walking toward them. He walked to the man, who shook his head.Tyler began to cry in the middle of the hall. Reese walked to him and embraced her brother.

“I’m sorry!” She repeated the words over and over. “I’m so sorry.”

“I have to….tell….Kelly.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Reese asked. “She may not want to see me.”

“We talked earlier. She doesn’t blame you. She blames us….” Tyler said, wiping his eyes. “I was getting married while my son was dying.”

“Tyler?”

“I’ll tell her.” Tyler hugged her. “Dean won’t let anyone hurt you. I saw it before, but it’s more than obvious now. He loves you.”

“This isn’t love.” She kissed his cheek. “Go see Kelly.”

She watched him until he entered the conference room his ex wife was sitting, waiting for news of their son. She turned and took a few steps before grabbing the counter to balance herself.

Nathan started to go to her, but Dean raced over. “Reese?”

“I…he’s gone!” Reese sobbed. “I didn’t know! I would have picked him up! I would have…”

“That doesn’t matter now.” Kevin glared at her. “His blood in on your hands.”

Sam stepped up before Dean could react. “Kevin, man, this isn’t the time or place. What happened is horrible but throwing blame at Reese isn’t going to make things easier for Tyler or Kelly.”

“Defending your brother’s whore?” Kevin asked. “You slept with my sister too?”

Dean tried to get past his brother. “Don’t you dare say that about Reese! Yeah, we made a mistake. Don’t call her a whore though!”

Reese turned to him. “Don’t.”

“I ain’t standing here while they call you names!” Dean looked at Kevin and then back at Nathan. “I love Reese.”

She was shocked by the confession. “Dean?”

“I love you,” Dean looked at her. “My timing sucks. I know that. I just can’t stand here and listen to them talk to you like this.”

“What about me?” Nathan asked. “Reese, what about the two of us?”

“I care for you.” Reese turned back to him. “I never wanted you to get hurt.”

“Do you love Dean?” Nathan asked. “Did you ever love me?”

“Nathan…”

“Did you ever love me?”

Reese closed her eyes as fresh tears fell. “Not the way you deserved to be loved.”

Nathan swallowed, took a deep breath, and nodded. “Yeah, okay.” He wiped his eyes. “I’ll call later to check on Tyler and Kelly.”

“Nathan, please. I don’t want things to…”

“Not now, Reese. We’ll have that talk. We’ll do it soon. Not today. Tyler and Kelly need you.” He took a step toward her and hugged her. “I’ll call later.”

She watched him go but turned at the cries she heard from the end of the hall. Reese saw her mother and father standing with Tyler and Kelly. Lori and David were holding each other while Tyler picked his son’s mother up and carried her to an exam room. Lori walked over, hugged both of her children, and looked down. “They’re going to monitor Kelly. She and Tyler didn’t want to say anything but they were trying to work things out. They were eloping today.”

“He mentioned…getting married…” Reese shook her head. “I had no idea.”

“Sounds like today was just a lot of missed messages and miscommunication.” David looked at the Winchesters. “Hey, Boys. Where’s John?”

“He and Bobby are in Arkansas.” Sam said. “I’ll give them a call. They’ll want to be here.”

“It’s not necessary.” Lori was curious about their presence though. “Are you two working a case close by?”

“Swinging through town.” Dean saw Kevin’s eyes darken. “I stopped to see Reese.”

David chuckled slightly. “I had a feeling.”

Lori looked at her daughter. “Is this why you didn’t accept Nathan’s proposal?”

“He proposed?” Dean asked, shock all over his face.

“Yes, but…”

“When?” Dean wanted to know.

Reese shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter!”

“It matters to me.”

Lori answered for her daughter. “Seven months ago.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“Dean,” Sam grabbed his brother’s arm. “This isn’t important right now.”

Lori looked at Dean. “Nathan is a good man. He can give her a good life.”

“Lori, she doesn’t love him.” David sighed. “Dean, Sam, I think it may be best for you two to head out for now. Reese can call you later on.”

“Is that what you want?” Dean looked into her eyes.

Reese shook her head. “No, of course not. It’s probably best though. I’ll call you when I leave.” She kissed his cheek. “The room is still open tonight.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.” Dean knew his father would be calling soon for them to meet up, but he’d have to wait. Reese needed him.

She didn’t return to the room that night. Reese sent a text and promised to bring breakfast. She arrived, exhausted and obviously upset.

“Kevin and Mom attacked me after we left the hospital to help Tyler make arrangements and then Nathan was in my apartment when I got home.” Reese looked at Dean. “Kelly’s resting. We’re meeting at the funeral home later this morning…”

“Reese, I can’t stay.” Dean touched her cheek. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. Dad called. Your mother called him.”

“Wh…what?”

“Dad is pissed. Nathan’s family…”

“Gives money to hunters to help.” Reese sat on the bed and let that realization sink in. “They’re not going to help you anymore, are they?”

“I don’t know. Dad didn’t say anything, but we’ve got our orders.”

Reese was quiet for a few minutes. Her eyes stayed on him as he moved around the room. “Dean?”

“Yeah,” He turned his head toward her.

“You aren’t coming back, are you?” He didn’t answer her. “This is goodbye?”

“Reese, you and I know this was never going to be anything more than a night here and there. Hell, it should have ended the second you and Nathan hooked up.”

“That’s on me.”

“I knew and I didn’t care.” Dean kneeled in front of her. “I love you, Reesey. It’s just time for us to move on. Alone.”

Reese shook her head. “This isn’t you talking, it’s John. John never liked me.”

“Dad likes you just fine.”

“He likes getting money for his hunts even more.”

Dean watched her as she grabbed her bag and started for the door. “This ain’t what I want, Reese!”

“So let’s go. Let’s take Sam and disappear. I have money. I have resources of my own….”

“No.” Dean touched her shoulders. “Reese, you have a good life here.”

“It won’t mean anything without you.” Reese cried. “Dean, please….”

“I can’t.” Dean knew he needed to get out of there. He needed to get away from her, grab Sam, and leave town. He couldn’t though.

“Dean, I love you.”

“I love you, Reese.” He kissed her. He knew this was only going to hurt them in the end, but he knew that this was going to be the last time he saw her. Dean knew that this was the last time he’d see her and as much as he’d regret it later, he needed to have this one last moment with her.


	2. Chapter 2

##  **A Split Second Chapter One**

_**2018** _

Dean Winchester walked into the bunker with a bottle of whiskey and a large pizza. Sam looked up from his laptop but said nothing. He knew what today meant to his brother and over the years, it had become a tradition day of silence.

Dean set the pizza box down and opened it. He poured two glasses of whiskey and they sat, in silence, until the pizza was gone. Dean grabbed the bottle, and his glass, and made his way to his room. Once alone, he sat on his bed and reached into the nightstand and grabbed the pictures he didn’t want anyone to know he had.

Reese Stephenson smiled back at him in every picture. Dean smiled through tears. He missed her. He wanted to call her a million times but after the last time he saw her, it was clear that was not a good idea.

He looked through the pictures as his favorite songs played. He sat up and took a deep breath. He could go see her. He could call.

He grabbed his phone. Tyler’s number was still the same. He could ask him for his sister’s number. He saw Tyler and Kelly a few times a year. Tyler told him he’d call Reese….

Dean stopped himself. Every year, he tortured himself with the idea of calling her. Eighteen years ago, he walked away and as far as Reese knew, he never looked back. He tossed his phone aside and stood up. He needed to go out. He needed to forget what this night was….

His phone rang. He reached for it and saw Tyler on the caller ID. He wasn’t surprised. Tyler called on this night every year to check on him.

“Hey.”

“Hey, umm, Mr. Winchester?”

Dean thought he recognized the voice. “Danny? Is that you?”

“Hi, Mr. Winchester…”

“Dean, just call me Dean.”

“Dean. I didn’t want to bother you, but my dad went on a hunt a few days ago. He brought me along to help with research. Dad went to look into a lead and made me stay behind. That was two days ago. I didn’t want to scare Mom, but she called me when Dad didn’t answer her calls. I went to where he was supposed to be and found his phone…”

“Where are you?”

“Manchester, Oklahoma. It’s close to the border…”

“I’ll be there in about four, maybe five hours.” Dean promised. He gave Danny the name of a diner he’d stayed in the last time he drove through there. He jumped up and grabbed a bag, opening his door long enough to scream for his brother.

“What’s up?”

“Danny called. Tyler’s kid. Tyler’s on a hunt and he hasn’t checked in.” Dean shared the information he had and Sam rushed away to grab a few things. Dean owed Tyler. He had to get there and make sure his old friend made it back home.

They pulled into the old diner a few hours later. It was five in the morning and Dean had called Danny an hour before to tell him they were close. The brothers entered the diner and saw Danny sitting toward the back. He looked up when he saw them and stood. As they approached, he extended his hand and took a deep breath.

“Thanks for coming, but I’m sorry. I lied to get you here.”

“You lied?” Sam asked.

“I asked him to.” A soft female voice said from behind them. They turned and Dean’s eyes widened. He knew one day, this could happen. He had asked himself a million times how he would react, what he would even say….

“You set this up?” Dean asked.

“I was scared you wouldn’t come if you knew I was here.” Her eyes met Dean’s. “I’m sorry but I needed to see you. I needed to talk to you.”

“Does anyone know you’re here?” Sam asked Danny. “Where’s your father?”

“He’s home. I took his phone.” Danny looked at him. “She was going to do this, with or without me.”

Dean looked back. “You did the right thing. You were just looking out for your cousin.” Dean’s eyes turned back to the young woman in front of him. She looked just like her mother except for her eyes. She had his eyes. “Hey, Kinsley.”

“Hi….Dad.” A small smile grew on her face. “I had to meet you. I needed to….I’ve asked Mom but she was scared to call. She didn’t think you’d come.”

“I would have, if I knew that’s what you wanted.” He smiled at her. “You’re beautiful. You look just like your mother.”

“Apparently I’m exactly like you.” Kinsley told him.

Dean saw Sam’s smile. “Don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t smile.”

Sam shrugged. “Your kid is exactly like you.”

“Shuddup.” Dean glared at his brother before moving his eyes back to his daughter. It hit him.

He was looking at his eighteen year old daughter.

Dean smiled again. “Happy Birthday, by the way.”

“You know my birthday?” Kinsley asked.

_“You made it!” Tyler and Kelly were standing outside her room with their young son, Danny. “She’s been crying for you for three hours.”_

_“I turned around and kept my foot on the gas pedal until I got here.” Dean knew his father would be furious. He was supposed to be in Oregon by morning helping with a shapeshifter._

_“Mom and Dad are flying back from Texas tonight.” Tyler opened the door. “Go on. She needs you.”_

_Dean slipped his jacket off as he walked into the room. Reese was crying, panting and looked exhausted. She saw him and her face lit up. “You came.”_

_“Sweetheart, I would have been here sooner had you told me.” Dean kissed the top of her forehead. “What do you need me to go? What do you want?”_

_“I’ve been waiting, hoping you’d be here. I have to push though.”_

_The nurse in the room rushed over and checked her. “She’s ready!”_

_The next several minutes were a blur for Dean. He was moved to the head of the bed and held Reese’s hand as they readied her to deliver the baby. He kissed her hand, kissed the top of her head, and whispered, ‘I love you’ several times._

_“Push, Reesey!” He encouraged her. “One more big push, Sweetheart.”_

_Kinsley Reese Winchester was born only a few minutes later. Dean was in shock as he cut the umbilical cord and was handed his baby girl. He’d never held a baby before, other than Sam. This wasn’t his little brother. This was his daughter._

_Tyler and Kelly came in and took several pictures of the new family. Dean took a picture with his phone and sent it to Sam. He’d promised not to bother his brother often, but he wanted Sam to see Kinsley._

_An hour later, everyone, including nurses cleared out. Dean was walking around, gently singing to the baby._

_“I’m staying,” He kissed the top of the sweet baby’s head. “Reesey, I’m not going anywhere.”_

_“The hell you aren’t.” The voice boomed through the room._

_Reese’s smile faded. “John.”_

_John looked at Dean. “That’s your child?”_

_“My daughter. Kinsley Winchester, meet your grandpa.” Dean showed his father, but immediately placed the little girl in her mother’s arms. “I’m staying with Reese and our daughter.”_

_John let out a deep sigh. “Dean, you were supposed to be in Oregon….”_

_“Why aren’t you there?” Dean asked._

_“I was in Missouri heading there when I got the call from David.” John’s eyes moved to Reese. “He said you didn’t want us to know about this baby.”_

_“I didn’t think it would make a difference.” Reese took Dean’s hand. “I was wrong.”_

_John shook his head. “You weren’t. It makes no difference. Dean, your brother has already abandoned us. You aren’t going to do that.”_

_Reese was angry. “Don’t you dare do this to him! Dean’s twenty one, John! He deserves a life…..”_

_“He can have one when we get the thing that killed his mother. Dean had his orders and he didn’t follow them….”_

_“Dad, this is my daughter.” Dean pleaded with him. “Kinsley is my daughter…”_

_“I’m sorry, Son, but I told you years ago. No attachments….”_

_Dean shook his head. “Don’t do this, Dad.”_

_A small cry from the bundle in Reese’s arms got their attention. John’s expression changed as he watched his son take the small baby and soothe her while Reese grabbed a blanket to cover herself while she nursed._

_“She’s beautiful.” John said. “She’s got your eyes, Dean.”_

_“You can tell that already?” Reese asked, smiling despite how upset John was making her._

_John smiled back at her. “Yeah, I can tell.”_

_Dean looked at Reese, years of friendship and love between them making it easy to communicate without words. She nodded and Dean turned to his father. “Do you want to hold your grandchild?”_

_John was quiet for a few minutes. “Yes, but I’m not going to hold her. Dean, I don’t think you should either. Give her kiss and hand her back to her mother. It’s time to go.”_

_“Dad, I ain’t leaving them….”_

_“One day, you can come back.”_

_“No,” Reese knew she had to put her foot down once and for all. “Dean, I love you but if you leave now, you aren’t welcomed back.”_

_“Son, you know until this is over, there’s no way to have it both ways.”_

_“Dad, I’m not leaving….”_

_“Yes, you are.” Reese took a deep breath. “You’ll never really be here, Dean.”_

_“Reesey, I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to leave Kinsley.”_

_Reese was making the most difficult decision she’d had to make concerning Dean, but she knew she had to protect her child. “Dean, I love you. I will always love you. I need you to go. If you love us, I need you to walk away. Maybe one day, you can leave the life. I don’t think you will, but if you do, maybe we’ll talk about you seeing Kinsley.”_

_“Reese, Sweetheart,” Dean held the baby close, but Reese reached out for her._

_“I need to nurse her, Dean. You need to say goodbye.” Reese saw John’s face. He turned and walked out of the room._

_“Reese, I ain’t doing this. I’m staying.”_

_“No.” Reese finally broke. “You’ll never really be here. You’ll never really be mine…”_

_“Like you weren’t mine the entire time you were with Nathan?” Dean asked._

_Reese’s eyes darkened with rage. “Give me my daughter. Now.”_

_“Reese, I’m sorry.”_

_“I’ll never live that mistake down. At least your dad didn’t lose his funding though, right?”_

_Dean turned away from her. “Kinsley, I love you, sweetheart. Daddy loves you.” He kissed the top of her head. “One of these days, I’ll come back for you and your mom.”_

_“Don’t, Dean. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Reese took Kinsley. “I’m sorry, but I can’t risk her getting hurt.”_

_“I would never…”_

_“Not intentionally.” Reese sighed. “You never do it intentionally.”_

Kinsley looked at Dean, stunned. “You were there when I was born?”

“Your mom didn’t tell you?” Dean asked. They were now sitting in a booth while Sam and Danny called Reese and Tyler. “Your uncle called and I raced to get to Reese. I had no idea she was pregnant.”

“Mom never told you?”

“There was a lot…”

“I know about Jacob. I know that Nathan and Mom were together for a long time but the two of you were sneaking around…” Her phone rang. “Son of a bitch.”

Dean’s brow raised. “Your mother?”

“Yeah, I probably should answer the phone.” Kinsley answered it and put it on speaker. “Hey, Ma!”

“What the hell were you thinking, Kinsley?! I would have called him! You and Danny didn’t have to take off and steal a truck!” Dean’s heart skipped a beat when he heard her voice. “Have you seen him? All Tyler told me was that you were planning to see your father…”

“Ma! You’re on speaker!” Kinsley bit her lip. “Dad…Dean….is sitting here.”

The silence seemed to last forever. Dean finally broke it by speaking. “Hey, Reesy.”

“Hi, Dean.”

“I’m booking a flight for the kids. Can you make sure they get to the airport?”

Kinsley argued. “Mom, don’t book me a flight. Danny can go home, but I want to get to know my dad. I deserve a chance to. You sent him away, after all….”

Reese exploded. “Dean, you told her that?!”

“I told her what happened when she was born. I told her that it was a smart move on your part because things never really settled down enough for me to come back.” Dean saw Sam and Danny walk in. “Reese, we’ll get the kids home. Two, three days tops. We’ve got to grab some things and we’ll head your way.”

“I don’t want to put you and Sam out.”

Dean looked at Kinsley. “I’ll get a few days with my daughter. You’re not putting me out, Reese. I’m looking forward to it.”


	3. Chapter 3

##  **A Split Second Chapter Two**

Reese stared at the phone after the call ended. Her daughter was with Dean. Dean was bringing her daughter home.

She was going to see Dean Winchester for the first time in eighteen years.

She called Tyler and told her what was happening. Reese begged him not to be angry with Danny. “He was just looking out for his cousin.”

“I know, but I would have called Dean myself had I known Kinsley was going to do this.” Tyler took a deep breath. “This will be good for both of them. They deserve a chance to know each other.”

Reese looked at one of the few pictures she had from the night Kinsley was born. Dean was holding his baby girl, proud as he could be. “What really sucks is that he would have been a great father.”

“I know that.” Tyler sighed. “Reese, you have to talk to him. You need to clear the air. Kinsley won’t let this go. She won’t let him go.”

“Dean may not give her much of a choice.” Reese shook her head. “Just wait until he finds out she’s been hunting.”  
  


“That’s on me. We shouldn’t have kept that from you, but Reese, she’s a Winchester, Campbell, and Stephenson. You didn’t really expect her to sit behind a desk and sell make and clothes, did you?”

“Wow,” Reese acquired her company before she was twenty four. “I was sixteen when I was offered my first job. Mom and Dad thought it would keep me from hunting.”

“I’m sorry, Reese.” Tyler was tired, he was stressed from worrying about the kids, and he knew Reese was also. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Reese looked at her planner. “I think they’ll be here Friday or Saturday. I’ll take Monday and Tuesday off.”

“Will you be able to do that?” Tyler knew Reese had an important fashion line launching very soon.

“I can. I need to, just in case. If he doesn’t stay, I’ll take Monday off and hopefully Kinsley will spend the day with me.” Reese picked up a picture of her daughter taken only months before. “Kinsley is exactly like her father.”

“She is.” Tyler smiled. “She’s also a lot like her mother. Kinsley’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’s impulsive, but she’s smart.”

“She may decide she wants to hunt with him.”

Tyler knew Dean didn’t want that. “He’d try and talk her out of it.”

“What if he can’t?! Damn it, she’s as stubborn as he is!”

“And as stubborn as you.” Tyler chuckled. “Reese, if Dean can’t talk her out of it, he’d take her with him. Not to hurt you. To protect her.”

“That makes sense.” Reese looked at the clock. “Damn it, I have a phone conference in an hour. I’ll call you if I hear anything.”

“Sounds good. I’ll call you later tonight either way.”

~*~

Kinsley saw her cousin watching her with concern. “What?”

“You really think this is going to work?” Danny asked.

“I don’t need anything to work, Danny. I need a few days with my dad. If he sees that I can handle the job….”

Danny shook his head. “I heard him and Dad one night. I was about seven, maybe eight. Dean said he was glad you weren’t around this life.” Danny shrugged. “Your mom thought Parsons was a good idea.”

“I don’t want to be a designer. I used to like designing clothes and making them myself, but that’s not me. That’s not the life I want.”

Danny shook his head. “Kins, I don’t think you know what you want. What happened to that guy you met up with a few weeks ago?”

“He’s not interested so I’m not wasting my time.” She saw Dean and Sam step out of the store. “Just mention it to them….”

“Kinsley…”

“Do it!” Kinsley’s green eyes darkened. “Do it or I’ll tell Aunt Kelly what really happened to Savannah Smith last summer.”

“You promised you wouldn’t say anything!”

“You promised to help me.”

“Bitch.”  
  


“Jerk.”

The Winchesters got into the car and Dean turned with a smile. “I didn’t know what you liked so I grabbed a little of everything.”

“He went overboard.” Sam said.

“I…maybe I did.” Dean shrugged. “I guess there’ll be a lot of talking the next couple of days.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Kinsley smiled back. She saw Danny on his phone and hoped he wasn’t going to chicken out.

“Have you ever heard of the Walsh house in Minnesota?” Danny asked. “It was a foster home in the 80s and one of the kids went crazy and killed everyone. Supposed to be haunted. Twenty three people over the last thirty years have gone missing after going in.”

Sam turned and looked at him. “You’re looking up cases?”

Danny shrugged. “I’ve been trying to put together a case Kinsley and I can work.”

“You….what?” Dean asked. “You hunt?”

“Yeah,” Kinsley nodded. “Mom hates it but it’s in my blood.”

Dean started to say something, but Sam shook his head. Dean took a deep breath. “I’d hope you wouldn’t go into this life.”

“She wouldn’t listen to anyone.” Danny said. “Kinsley was fourteen and snuck out of a slumber party to go after a shapeshifter.”

“Danny!”

“You got him. It was pretty amazing. Dad was pissed. Aunt Reese grounded her. Didn’t stop her though.”

“Tyler knows?”

“He said he’d rather me hunt with him than on my own.” Kinsley said.

Sam spoke up. “Yeah, that’s probably better, but you had a chance at a life away from all this.”

“You did too. You both did.” Kinsley took a deep breath. “Could you really walk away knowing that there are innocent people who could die because you happened to be in Chicago but you don’t kill vampires anymore? Mom would have hunted if Grandpa let her.”

“I wouldn’t let her.” Dean said. “Reese was too smart. She had too many opportunities.”

“Now she runs a lame ass company.” Kinsley rolled her eyes.

“Be fair, you wanted that lame ass company.” Danny said. She gave me a look Dean was sure belonged to his brother. “Kinsley’s a real talented artist. She stopped doing anything with her art last year.”

“I’m a Hunter, not a freaking fashionista!” Kinsley argued.

“Okay, okay!” Dean and Sam shared a look. Sam nodded. “We have heard of the Walsh house. It’s kind of on our bucket list. We’ll check it out.”

“Really?” Kinsley asked.

“On one condition.” Dean looked into her eyes. “You try a normal life, as an adult, for a few months and see what happens.”

“But..”

“If you can’t agree to that, we’ll drive straight to your mother’s house. Sammy can sleep for the first part and then I’ll nap.”

Kinsley knew she could convince him to change his mind if he saw what she was capable of. “Okay, it’s a deal.”

“If you break that deal, you still won’t be hunting.” Dean told her. “I’ll put every hunter on high alert and you won’t be able to find a case anywhere.”

“I get it.” Kinsley wasn’t worried. “Let’s go to Minnesota.”

Dean was ready to explode. He was angry and he suspected that Kinsley hadn’t wanted to meet him because he was her father. He suspected she thought he’d support her living her life as a Hunter. He hesitated turning the engine on. He’d thought of her everyday for eighteen years and all she thought about was a way out of the best life she could have had despite being his daughter.


	4. Chapter 4

##  **A Split Second Chapter Three**

“That was crazy!” Kinsley looked at Dean as they walked out of the house. “There’s nothing!”

“What a waste of time!” Danny looked at his cousin. He was sure the Winchesters knew it would be. Danny was positive the Winchesters had long taken care of the Walsh house.

“I’m sorry. I know you were looking forward to a hunt. Sometimes there’s just nothing here.” Sam was packing everything back in the trunk of the Impala.

Kinsley shrugged. “I’m sure there’s something between here and home.” Her phone rang. “It’s Mom….Hello?…..Minnesota….Mom!” Kinsley was quiet for a few seconds and then handed the phone to Dean. “She wants to talk to you.”

Dean took the phone and walked away. “Hey.”

“You took our daughter on a hunt?”

“No.” Dean made sure Sam had Kinsley distracted. “Sam and I cleared this place out ages ago. We knew there was nothing here. I think Danny caught on pretty quick….”

Reese sighed. “She’s going to try and convince you to go somewhere else.”

“Not happening.” Dean told her. “We’re going to try and talk to her this last leg of the drive. She doesn’t need to hunt.”

“Kinsley was supposed to go to Parsons and decided not to. She’s determined…”

Dean exploded. “She should never have known about any of this!”

“It’s not exactly easy to keep from a child when her cousins are all being trained before they’re out of diapers.” Reese snapped back.

There was an uncomfortable silence before Reese spoke again. “I want my daughter home, Dean.”

“We’ll have here there tomorrow.” He hung up.

He handed Kinsley her phone and told everyone to load up. “Next stop, Casa de’ Stephenson.”

“What’d she say?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dean looked at his daughter. “Just….Sam and I are dropping you two tomorrow.”

Kinsley sighed. “You’re staying a few days, aren’t you?”

“No,” Dean shook his head. “Your mother and I can’t see each other. After tomorrow, you and I can’t see each other.”

~*~

Reese was waiting at Tyler’s when they arrived. She walked to the car and was surprised by the first person she saw.

“Sam?”

“Hey,” He gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too.” She shook her head. “You’ve grown up.”

Sam noticed her clothes. Reese always dressed professional for her job, but it was nine on a Sunday morning and she looked like she stepped from a magazine. “You look different.”

“I guess.” Reese looked at her nephew. “I talked your parents out of giving you too hard a time.”

“Thanks.” Danny looked back in the car. “Come on, Kinsley.”

“No, not until he talks to me.”

Dean turned around in the seat. “Kinsley, there’s nothing left to say. I’m no good for you. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’m an adult now!”

“You’re eighteen!”

Reese slipped past Sam into the passenger seat. “Kinsley Reese, get your ass out of the car.”

“Really, Ma!” Kinsley screamed. “I’m only in this car because you were too damn scared to see my father again.”

“Don’t scream at your mom. She’s been there for you.”

“Oh I know that, DEAN.” Kinsley turned her anger toward him. “You didn’t have to leave! You could have fought your dad and stayed, but you…”

“I told him to go!”

“Why am I even bothering with either of you?!” Kinsley asked. “I’ve never meant a damn thing to you, Dean.” She turned toward her mother. “You only kept me because I was a link to him.”

“Kinsley…”

“Screw you both!” Kinsley got out of the car and took off away from the house. Sam started to go after her, but Danny and Tyler, who had stepped outside, stopped him.

“She needs some time to process all of this.” Tyler said. “She should have known her father before now.”

“I agree but it wasn’t our call.” Sam looked at their old friend. “Will she be okay?”

“Yeah,” Tyler sighed. “She’ll be just fine. She just needs to cool off.”

Reese watched Kinsley walk away. “I’m sorry she tracked you down. I’ll see to it that she doesn’t contact you again.”

“She’s my daughter. I should have been here.” Dean looked down. “I shouldn’t have stayed away.”

“No point in you coming if you were going to half ass your responsibilities to her.” Reese covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I had no right to say that.”

Dean finally looked at her. He hated all the feelings still there for her. “I would have been the best father I knew how. I may not have won any awards, but I would have been here when I needed to be, and I would have been here when I could be.”

“I know that. I’m sorry. I’m the one who sent you away.” Reese took a deep breath. “I’m sure you’re ready to move on, but I think you and Reese should have a chance to talk before you do.”

“You think that’s a good idea?” Dean wanted to know. “I don’t want to mess things up for her anymore than I already have.”

“You haven’t messed anything up.” Reese assured him. “Kinsley is a combination of her parents. She’s stubborn and she’ll fight you tooth and nail…”

“She’s beautiful.” Dean smiled. “She’s smart, funny, has great taste in music.”

“She’s talented. She’s so incredibly talented.” Reese shook her head. “She wants to waste that.”

“You and I both know that if she’s our kid, she’s going to do whatever the hell she wants.” Dean shook his head. “I don’t want to leave, Reesey.”

She turned to him. “I don’t want you to go either. I’m pretty sure you moved on a long time ago…”

“Not completely.” Dean looked into her eyes. “I couldn’t let go of what I felt for you. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

~*~

Kinsley stopped at the small gas station and got a soda and bag of chips. She knew eventually her uncle, maybe both, would start looking. She considered going to the one place they usually found her.

Today, she was going to go somewhere else.

As she pulled out her phone, she knew making this call was going to change everything. He’d come to her several times and she’d always refused. She didn’t want to be used as a pawn in a game that started long before she was born.

Dean Winchester was her father. Kinsley sensed that he wanted to take on that role but felt that too much time had passed. She wanted him to take on that role. Kinsley wanted to know him. She wanted him to know her. She suspected that everything Danny and Tyler told her was true.

Dean had seen too much in his life to feel comfortable letting her get too close. He lost too much and he was scared to lose anyone else.

Kinsley fought her tears and made the call. She’d ran back to her uncle’s and tell everyone about the proposition and that she’d ‘accepted’ it. They’d work together to make sure no one got hurt.

“You’re calling me?”

“He’s in town.” she said. “I didn’t bring him here for this, but he’s here.”

“Where are you?”

“Don’t worry about that.” Kinsley started toward her uncle’s again. “He’s in town.” She ended the call and began walking back toward her family. She hoped they had a plan because for once, Kinsley wasn’t sure what she was suppose to do.


	5. Chapter 5

##  **A Split Second Chapter 4**

Reese was concerned when Kinsley didn’t answer her phone around five thirty that evening. Tyler wasn’t concerned until they went to her spot and she wasn’t there. There was no sign she’d been there in awhile.

“You’re sure there’s nowhere else she’d go?” Dean asked.

Tyler shook his head. “Danny and Kinsley used to spend summers playing out here. The older, more deviant she got, the more she came out here to cool off.”

Dean was trying to stay calm but he was worried. “Has she ever disappeared like this before?”

“No.” Tyler knew what was coming next. “This isn’t like her. Kinsley would come out here and wait for me to come and talk to her about whatever is going on.”

“Until she met meet.” Dean looked at his brother. “Call Garth. We’re going to need some backup.”

“Dean.” Sam suspected Kinsley had decided to go somewhere less obvious. He didn’t think she was trying to get attention. Sam had a feeling she was trying to get some space. “Let’s go back to the house and regroup. Kinsley’s a smart girl, she’s resourceful.”

Danny sighed. “If she don’t want us to find her, we aren’t going to.”

Tyler nodded. “I don’t think that’s it, but he’s right. Kinsley may have other spots she goes to that we don’t know about.”

“And what if…” Dean balled his fists up. “What if something followed us here? What if…”

“Kinsley has a temper and she runs off a few times a week.” Danny said. “She’ll come back. Let’s go back to the house and tell Aunt Reese…”

“Son of a bitch.” Dean didn’t want to tell Reese that Kinsley hadn’t been there. Tyler had been so sure she was.

“She knows Kinsley.” Tyler assured him. “Reese knows how she gets.”

~*~

Reese was surprisingly calm. “Last time she wasn’t out there, she was with a friend.”

“We start going to their houses.” Dean looked at Sam. “You…”

“No,” Reese laughed. “I’m sorry, Dean, but you can’t just show up. I can call a few of the parents. If she’s with any of them, they’ll keep an eye on her and I’ll go get her in the morning.”

“Oh,” Dean nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Twenty minutes later, Reese got a message. “Mel sent the bat signal. Kinsley’s with Layla. Layla said Kinsley asked to crash with her for the night.”

“Do you know Layla?” Dean asked.

Reese nodded. “Layla is Kevin’s daughter.”

“Kevin didn’t tell you…”

“We don’t talk.” Reese said. “Thank you all for helping. I have a lot of work to do before next week. I’ll call when she gets home.”

“Reese, wait.” Dean followed her outside. “Can we talk?”

Reese stopped but didn’t turn to face him. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“It’s been eighteen years, Reese. I think it’s long past due.”

Reese finally turned around. “Do you remember the old diner is?”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “They still have those chili cheese burgers?”

Reese cracked a smile. “Kinsley and I get one every now and then. Along with one of the pies.”

“I’ll drive..”

“We’ll meet there.” Reese walked to her car.

~*~

Layla looked at her cousin. “You’re leaving?”

“May as well.” Kinsley flipped through the magazine on the bed. She didn’t care about the best eyeshadow colors for that season. There was just nothing else to look at. “Mom wants me to be an artist of some kind. My dad wants me to not be a hunter. I am a hunter. Whether they like it or not, I’m going to hunt.”

“I thought you were going to take off with that group heading to Alabama. The ones who were going to work out of three or four states and stick to their region.”

Kinsley shrugged. “They want to claim territory and keep other hunters out. I get it but it’s stupid. They want to keep all hunts down there to themselves. It’s reckless really. They’ll spread themselves too thin.”

“I don’t understand any of that. I’m so glad never got into it.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Kinsley sighed. “You told Mel I was here?”

“Your mom won’t come. We both know that.”

Kinsley nodded. “Your dad won’t be happy I’m here. I’ll head out. Thanks for letting me hang out.”

“Kinsley, Dad would be okay with you spending the night.”

“It’ll just give him more reason to badmouth Mom.” Kinsley shrugged. “Maybe I’ll head home.”

“Call me tomorrow. Mom and I are going to the launch next week and I really need to know what everyone is wearing. I don’t want to be caught dead wearing the same dress as anyone else.”

“Yeah, sure.” Kinsley tried not to roll her eyes. She’d come to Layla at the last minute. She got scared. If she told them that she knew someone was after her dad and uncle, and she’d brought them to town, would they believe she never intended for them to get hurt?


	6. Chapter 6

##  **A Split Second Chapter Five**

As they sat, waiting in silence for their food, Dean studied Reese’s face. She had matured, of course, but he saw the same beautiful blue eyes, her light brown hair, and the few freckles sprinkled on her cheeks.

“What?” She asked.

“You’ve barely changed.” Dean smiled at her.

Reese smiled back. “You have. Not much. You look more rugged, more handsome.” She bit her lip. “You’ve grown into your manhood.”

Dean leaned across the table. “Was that ever really a problem, Reesey? My manhood?”

“That’s probably not what you really wanted to talk about.” She took a deep breath. “It’s too easy to fall back into the way we were.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Dean sat back. “She’s amazing, Reese. I’m sorry I left. I tried to come back twice, but Dad caught me both times.”

“I would have sent you back, Dean. I knew your place wasn’t with us.” Reese played with the straw in her drink. “Actually it was, but I knew you couldn’t be here. I think we both know the world needed you.”

“The world isn’t more important than my daughter.” Dean said. “Did you get my letters?”

“Yes. I put them up. I never read them. I was going to give them to Kinsley on her birthday but we both know how that went.”

“Yeah,” Dean smiled again. “I knew who she was the moment I saw her. Tyler’s given me a few pictures, but it’s been awhile. I would have known her anyway.”

“Do you want to know her?” Reese asked. “Do you want to have a relationship with her?”

“I’d like that, but I don’t know if it’s the best thing for her. I don’t want her life in danger. I’ve been careful not to let too many know I have a daughter but I haven’t exactly kept it a secret either.”

“Charlie was lovely.” Reese smiled. “We loved her.”

“Yeah, we all did.” Dean’s expression changed. “And she died because she got too close to us.”

Their food arrived and Dean dove into his burger. Reese smiled again. Some things never changed.

“This is so good. I forgot how much I really loved these.” He said between bites.”

“You and your daughter have the same eating habits.” She grinned.

“I noticed.” Dean chuckled. “Sam tried to encourage her to order a salad and she looked at him like he was crazy.”

Reese laughed. “Kinsley does have a few vegetables she loves, but mostly, she’s a meat and potatoes girl. She will devour two of these burgers and eat her weight in fries.”

“That’s my girl.” Dean smiled.

“She certainly is.” Reese sighed. “Do you have anything pressing?”

“Case wise?” Dean shook his head. “No, not right now.”

“Can you stay for a couple of weeks? Take some time to get to know Kinsley. Maybe if you two actually have a chance to really talk, she’ll realize that she has a chance to have a better life.”

“I want her to have that life, but she’s got two strikes against her, Reese. I’m her father and you’re her mother. We’re two of the most stubborn people on the planet. She isn’t going to listen to me.”

“What do you suggest then?” Reese asked.

“I don’t know.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “We can take some time and I’ll see if Kinsley will open up to me.”

“You may be surprised.” Reese smiled. “And I’ll need you to come to the office.”

“For what?” Dean looked at her, surprised.

“You and Sam will need something to wear to the launch.” Reese’s smile grew. She was teasing, but she wouldn’t tell him that just yet. “Kinsley might actually behave for an entire night.”

~*~

Kinsley woke the next morning and heard an old Bon Jovi song playing downstairs. She made her way down to the kitchen and saw her mother making breakfast.

“Mom?”

“Dean and Sam will be here for breakfast soon.” Reese told her. “They’re going to stay for awhile.”

“They’re…what?”

“Staying for awhile. Dean wants to spend time with you.”

Kinsley shook her head. “Mom, he doesn’t have to do that.”

“He wants to.” Reese told her. “Go and get ready for the day. He wants to take you someplace.”

“Really?”

“They’ll be here soon.”

Kinsley rushed through a shower, dressed, and started downstairs as soon as she heard the doorbell. She opened the door and saw her father and uncle standing tall on the other side.

“Hey.” Kinsley said. “Guess Mom’s going domestic for the day or something.”

Dean smiled. “Your mom was always a great cook.”

She moved and let them come in. “Kitchen’s through there. She’s pretty cheerful this morning.”

Dean smiled. Sam shot his brother a look and then rolled his eyes. He should have known when Dean came in at three in the morning where he’d been.

“Don’t get any ideas, Sammy.” Dean said. “We just talked.”

“Sure,” Sam shook his head. “I remember what your ‘talks’ were like before. I walked in on a few.”

They entered the kitchen and Reese smiled. “Morning.”

“Hey, Sweetheart.” Dean caught himself before kissing her. There’d been plenty of that the night before, but he knew they had to go slow. He would eventually have to leave again and Kinsley might not like her parents’ rekindling their relationship.

“I’ve got pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, there’s some fruit, coffee, and juice.” Reese told them. “Kinsley, Elton is coming over with some dresses. I asked him to wait but he needs to measurements today.”

“Mom! Do I have to go?”

“Baby, please.” Reese pleaded. “It’s really important.”

“What’s really important?” Sam asked.

Reese invited everyone to sit. “We’re launching next season’s new lines. Clothes, shoes, makeup, and a few new products. It’s a very important event because my competition will be there and I need to make sure she knows she has something to worry about.”

“I hate these parties.” Kinsley said. “Can’t we just schedule the flu?”

“Kinsley Reese!” Reese laughed. “Give me one night.”

Kinsley opened her mouth to protest and then smiled. “Only if they agree to come.”

Dean and Sam stared at each other. “What?”

“I’ll go if you do.”

“I…” Dean saw Reese’s face. He knew this was an important night for her, and her company. “I guess I could do that, but I didn’t exactly pack clothes for that kind of thing.”

“Mom can just text Elton and he can bring some things for the two of you to try.”

Sam shook his head. “Dean can go. I’ll just…”

“Nope! Either you both go or there’s no deal.”

Dean looked at Sam, pleaded with him silently. Sam finally nodded. “Sure, but Elton better not try and put me in pastels.”

“You know Elton?”

Sam nodded. “He insisted that mint green was my color.”

“No!” Reese laughed. “He thought mint green and purple in a tie would work for your high school graduation. He was so insulted when you wouldn’t wear that tie!”

“You refused Elton’s fashion advice?” Kinsley looked at her uncle in awe. “Whoa! You lived?”

“Kinsley!” Reese was sending a text. “Elton knows that pastels won’t work for this event.”

Everyone began piling food on their plates and Kinsley excused herself to grab something she wanted to show Dean. He looked at Reese and smiled. “You’re okay with this?”

“Yes. It’ll be nice to have you…both of you! It’ll be nice for you both to be there. If Kinsley’s willing to wear one of the dresses Elton picked out for her and behave for a night with you there, that’s even better.”

“You’re sure he won’t try and put us in anything too crazy?” Sam asked, visibly concerned.

Reese smiled. “Elton likes his job and I told him exactly what to grab for the two of you.”


End file.
